News of Linda Richardson’s retirement was greatly exaggerated.
‘I sent an e-mail to the board that I was rescinding my notice, so now they’re stuck with me whether they want it or not,? the Department of Public Works director said with a laugh.
Richardson originally planned to retire Nov. 3.
However, she proposed to continue on a contractual basis, which she estimated would save the township at least $40,000 a year in healthcare and full-benefits cost.
The majority of the board seemed in favor of keeping Richardson around, while they looked for a new director. Richardson would be a consultant for the new hire during the ‘transition period.?
‘My thought was, I’m probably only going to work a couple more years and I have all these projects,? She said. ‘Let me finish the projects out, and save more than $40,000 a year and pay me contractually. For some reason they (the board) thought it had to be a full-time employee with benefits.?
On Oct. 19, she told the board the only reason she was retiring was because healthcare was going to change, due to the disbandment of the Teamsters Union. She thought retirement would lock her into the healthcare she currently has. When she found out healthcare could be changed regardless of whether she was retired or not, she decided against the retiring.
‘I wasn’t really ready to retire anyway,? she said. ‘It was just killing me, just too many things here (to get done) and (I would miss) all the employees here.?